Valve mechanism for ash-conveying or like systems



H. A. POPPENHUSEN AND A. P. STRONG. VALVE MECHAIIISM FOR ASH CONVEYING 0R LIKE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.- ZI. 1919. A 1,393,905 Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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H. A. POPPENHUSEN AND A. P. STRONG. VALVE MECHANISM FOR ASH CONVEYING 0R LIKE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION-FILED FEB. 21| 1919.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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U, 7m m y UNITED -STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN A. POPPENHUSEN, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, AND ARTHUR P. STRONG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 GREEN ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF EAST CHI- CAGO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VALVE MECHANISM. FOR ASH-CONVEYIN G OR LIKE SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 1S, 1921.

Application lled February 21, 1919. Serial No. 278,351. y

To all whom t may concern.'

Be itv known that w-e, HERMAN A. PorPnN- HUsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, and ARTHUR P. STRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanisms for Ash-Conveying or like Systems, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to anjash conveying or like system of the type wherein the material is moved through the conveying conduit or pipe line pneumatically by means of a motive fluid, such as steam, introduced into the conduit at several points in the length Y thereof.

Among the objects of our invention'is to .provide means operable from one or more points in the length of the pipe line, as for instance at the ash intake openings, so that the motive fluid maybe turned on and off by a workman at'the place where the ash or other material is being fed into the `sys-A tem, and thus require the .use of the motive fluid only during the intervals while the material is being handled by the system.

The invention consists further in the several features of -constructionand combination of parts hereinafter set lforth and described.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conveyer conduit of an ash conveying or like system equipped with a mechanism embodying Vthe features of our invention;

Y Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional .view taken on line 2-2 of'F ig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on linel 3-.- of Fig. l;

Fig. t isa vsimilar sectional view'taken on Vline 4@- of Fig. 1;.and`

Fig. 5v is a like sectional view taken on line V5--5 of Fig. 1.

In Fig.Y 1 of the drawings,vwe have shown the rear wall 1 of a battery of steam boiler Yor other furnaces, the ash-pits thereof being provided with discharge passages 2 opening outward through said wall; there being one discharge passage 2 for each ash-pit, and all in the arrangement illustrated being spaced the same distance above the floor 3 of the by an elbow or like tting 7 furnace room and in horizontal alinement.v

Vrality of metal pipes 4, 4 connected together end to end yand arranged so as to have a lower horizontal section 5 in front of the rear Wall 1 but below the discharge passages 2; a riser or vertical section 6 connected at its lower end with the horizontal section 5 and an upper horizontal section 8 connected with the upper end ofthe riser 6 by an elbow 9. Said upper section 8 leads to a tank or hopper usually located outside of the ,building and into which the ash or other material handled by the pipe line is discharged for ultimate disposal. For moving the ash or other material through the conveyer conduit pneumatically, al motive fluid, such as steam, is introduced kinto the pipe line at the points required and discharged thereinto in the direction of movement of the material therethrough. The motivefluid is supplied from a suitable source and when-steam is used it isusually supplied from the boilers of the furnaces with which the system is used.

elbow 7, which nozzle is connected with the pipe l0 by a branch pipe 16, the latter being coupled with the pipe l0 between the nozzle 14tand the valve 11, so that when the val-ve is closed the supply of steam to both nozzles is shut oli. of the pipe line may be supported above the floor 3 to the height required by any suitable means one form of which, as shown in the drawings, comprises upright standards 17 secured to the floor and provided at their upper ends with concave rollers 18, upon which certain of the pipes rest. The section 5 is provided with a plurality of ash intake openings 19 (Fig. 2), one located at each discharge passage 2, as shown` in Fig. l.4

The lower horizontal section provision of a suitable hole in the pipe 4 and an intake saddle 2O having a top flange 21 extending to and in alinement with the bottom wall 22 of the discharge passage 2, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the ash,when collected on said bottom wall, may be hoed or otherwise moved directly into the intake opening. The saddle is secured to its pipe 4 by U-bolts 28.v Each intake opening 19, whennot inv use, is closed bya removable plug or cover (not shown).

r o enable the supply of motive fluid or steam to be Yunder the control of the workmen from any one or more points in the Vlength of the pipe line, as for instance at each intake opening, so that, the steam may be turned on and off by a workman4 while feeding Vashes into the conveyer conduit,

and thus use the steam only during such in- 27, adjustably connected with the arm if.

desired. Y To thevopposite'end of the arm 25 Y is connected a cable 28. Vhenthe'arm 25 occupies the pos-itionshown in'full lines in Figs'1and 5,*the valve'24 is closed and the supply of steam to the pipe line is shut off. On the other' hand, when the cable 28 is pulled downward, the weighted' end of the arm 25 is raised and the valve 24 opened, thus allowing steam to be supplied `to the pipe line, the arts when in such position being indicated counter-weight 27 drops and'eifects the closing of the valve 24 automatically, th'eweight of said Vcounter-weight beingf'su'ilicient to overbalance the weight of the cable and its connected parts, to be presently described.

Located adjacent each ashintake opening 19 vand below the same is a dcpressible member in the form of a pedal 29, connected at its inner end by hinges 30 with the floor 3 of the furnace or boiler room. pedal are coiled springs 31, 31, which serve Y to hold theV outer or free end of thepedal normally elevated or raised. The cable 28 vextends downward from the valve 24 to theV horizontal Section5 of the pipe line and has aportion extending along said 'section 5 to the pedal 29 which is farthest from the riser V(has shown in Fig. 1. The end of the cable at such pedal is directly connected therewith, as shown.` To support and guide the cable, weprovide sheaves or grooved pulleys 32 by dotted lines in Fig. 5.` Y Upon releasingv the pull on the cable 28, the

Beneath each strap member 36 is secured to the split collar and extends about the pulley andengages the outer end of the stud for preventing the pulley from being displaced off of the stud and the cable 28 from riding out f* of the groove in the pulley. VThe cable 28 is further supported and guided by segmental plates 37, each being provided with a hole 38, through which the cable passes, as clearly shown in Fig. 3;VV Said-plates" 37 are secured to the section 5 at the abuttingends ofce'rtain' of th'epipes 4, 4 thereof, by being clamped to theradial lugs 139 at the abutting ends of such pipes by the bolts 40, which engage said lugs for coupling the pipes together.V All of the vother pedals 29,V Vexcept the one farthest from the riser 6, are connected. with the cable 28 by relatively short cable sections 41, which extend upward' from the .pedal over the associated pulleys 32, and coupled or connected with the maincable 28 Vat about the points 41a.by suitable' couplings provided for that purpose. The pedals 29 may be made in any form foundA most desirable for eachinstallation, but, as shown in thev drawings, each pedal .-isrmade'in ythe/form of an open frame having two side members'42,

42, each'being hinged/to the floor 8' at its inner endrbyone of the hinges A30, and con-` nected together at their free orouter ends by a cross-piece 43 forming `a Vfoot-board.

As illustrated, thereis affpulley 32 directly above one of the side'memb'ers 42 of each pedahand the cable section trained over such pulley extends downward to such side member 42 and is connected therewith by a staple or U-bolt 44 (Fig, 2).'` Y

When no' ashes'are being fed into thefpipe line, the valve 24 is maintained closed bythe i counter-weight 27, thereby' shutting off the supply of motive fluid to the system. '1 Then ash has been collected in one ormore of the discharge passages 2 in proximity lto the associatedV ashV intake 19, the workman standing on the licor 3 in front of the discharge passage steps on the pedal 29, depressing the same (seedottedV lines in Fig. 2), and opens the valve 24 throughthe `mediumofthe cable 28, as is. apparent,:thereby` turning fonthe steam supply to the nozzles 14, 15. f With his foot maintaining the pedal depressed,v

the workman reachesover thepipe'lineinto the passage 2i andhoes theash into the associated intakeopening 19.. -V Alfter he has fedv the ash intothe intake'opening 119,. he releases the pedal 29,1the latter being raisedrr by the springs 31, and the valveV 24 by the action ofthe counter-weight closes and thus y shuts off the steam supply. It follows, therefore, that the steam'ris consumed only during the Vinterval needed and at no other time.' It makes no difference at What discharge passage 2 the Workman may be employed, he always has Within convenient reach means whereby he may turn on the steam supply and maintain it turned on as long as he is feeding ashes into the pipe line, and'automatically shut o' the steam When such Work is completed. The enormous saving ofsteam is very marked, because in systems as heretofore used it has been found that ash handlers will turn on the steam and allow it to pass through the conduit for several hours, Whereas they only feed ashes to the system for a relatively short period of time. The balance of the time While the steam is being needlessly consumed the Workmen are resting or are going from ash-pit to ash-pit, or lind it necessary to hoe ashes from a distance or break up clinkers preparatory to hoeing the ash into the discharge passages 2 in close proiy imity to the ash intakes 19. The steam is not shut 01T Vduring the time that the system is idle because the valve 11 is at one point remote from the place Where the ashes are handled and inconvenient of ready access. lVith our invention these objections are readily overcome, as is apparent, as the means described enables a Workman t0 control the steam or motive fluid from any one of a number of points in the length of the pipe line Without operating the main valve 11.

Vhile We have shown and described herein in detail one form of a mechanism embodying the features of our invention, it is of course to be understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown may be variously changed and modilied Without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention; and further a system equipped With our invention may handle other materials and is not necessarily confined to handling ashes.

IVe claim as our invention:

l. In an ash conveying system, the combination of a conduit having a plurality of ash intake openings, means for supplying motive liuid to said conduit for moving the material therethrough, means for controlling the supply of motive fluid to said conduit, including a member adjacent each ash intake opening and enabling the operator when at any one of theintake openings and While moving ash into the same to engage the member at the intake opening to turn on the supply of motive fluid to the conduit and maintain the motive fluid turned on While the operator retainshis engagement With said member, and means for automatically shutting off the motive fluid When the operator releases said member.

2. In an ash conveying system, the combination of a conduit having a plurality of ash intake openings, means for supplying motive fluid to said conduit for moving the material therethrough,means for controlling the supply of motive iiuid to said conduit, including a member adjacent each ash intake opening and enabling the operator when at any one of said intake openings and while moving ash into the same to engage the member at the intake opening by his foot and turn on the supply of motive lluid to the conduit and maintain the motive fluid turned on as long as the operator retains his foot on said member, and means for automatically shutting on` the motive fluid When the operator releases his foot from said member.

3. In an ash conveying system, the combination of a conduit having a plurality of ash intake openings, means for supplying motive fluid to said conduit for moving the material therethrough, means for controlling the supply of motive liuid to said conduit, including a depressible member adjacent each ash intake opening and enabling the operator when at any one of said intake openings to turn on the supply of motive fluid to said conduit by depressing the member at the intake opening and maintain the motive fluid turned on as long as the operator holds said member depressed, and means `for automatically shutting ott' the motive fluid when the operator releases said member.

4L. In an ash conveying system, the combination of a conduit having a plurality of ash intake openings, means for supplying motive fluid to said conduit for moving the material therethrough, means for controlling the supply of motive fluid to said conduit, including a spring controlled member piv otally mounted adjacent each ash intake opening and enabling the operator when at any one of the intake openings to turn on the supply of motive lluid to said conduit by operating said member and maintain the motive fluid turned on as long as the operator retains his engagement With said member, and means for automatically shutting oil" the motive fluid When the operator releases said member.

5. In an ash conveying system, the combination of a conduit having a plurality of ash intake openings, means for supplying motive tluid to said conduit yfor moving the material therethrough, means for controlling the supply of motive fluid to said conduit, including a member adjacent each ash intake opening and arranged and mounted so that the operator-may when standing in front of an intake opening and While hoeing ash into the same readily engage the member at said intake opening and turn on the supply of motive fluid to the conduit and maintain the motive fluid turned on as long as the operator retains his engagement l With said member, and meansy for automatically shutting olf the motive fluid when the operator releases said member'.

6. In an ash conveying system7 the combination of a conduithaving a plurality of ash intake openings, a valve for Controlling vthe supply of motive luid to" said conduit, v.a depressible member at each of said intake' openings, means common to all of said members and connecting all ofthe same with said valve whereby the latter may be opened by the operator depressing'any of said members 'and keeping` the valve turned on as long as the operator holds any of said members-de Dressed and means for automatieall Y closing said valve when the member is re,- leased by the operator.

- 7 In an ash conveying system, the combination of a Conduit'having"aplurality of ash intake openings, a valve for controlling' the supply of motive fluid to said conduit, a Adepressible member at each ofv said intake openings, an endvvise movable member e Y extending along theeonduit and common` to and connecting said valve with eaeh oi said depressible members, whereby said valve may be opened; for turning on the supply of motive fluid to said conduit by the operator depressing` any of the depressible members and keeping the valve `turned on as long as the operator holds a member depressed, and

means for automatically closing said valve when the member is released by the 0perator.`

turning on the motive fluid to the conduitby the operator engaging'one of'sa'id members With-his foot and depressing the same,

and means for automatically closing said valve for shutting off Vthe motive liiicl'when the operator releases said member. Y

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention, .We affix foursgnatures, this 18th day'of February', A. D. 1919. i

HERMAN a.' PGPPENHUSEN. y ARTHUR P. sTnoNG; Y v 

